Old Newsletters...

November 2011

Happy
early Thanksgiving! Shed some pounds and get some
orienteering practice at our post Thanksgiving BMARE event.
See this for details.

We
are diligently working on solidifying our 2012 schedule and will
open registration as soon as we can for our events. Our
fans apparently like to plan very far ahead of time! ;)
We will do the best we can to help you plan. As
we are still working on the plans and are at the mercy of permitters anyway, if you have any requests or opinions about
the schedule please let us know!
BMAR@BigMountainAR.com

Spread the Word!
We are hoping to inspire as many people as possible to join in
the adventure racing fun and comradery. Please share this
newsletter with friends and family who also have a taste for
adventure, and lets build a friendly and fun community of
adventure enthusiasts in Colorado. Got adventure? Get some
and get some more... and invite the other adrenaline junkies
along with you!! :)

Congratulations to the competitors at the 2011 Over the Edge Adventure Race that took place in the beautiful and rugged Golden Gate Canyon State Park.
This was a truly tough course with several thousand feet of elevation gain, over 20 miles of technical single track, a grueling ascension, daring rappel,
and a paddle slalom challenge... In short this was no mud run!!

At the sound of the air horn blasting through the chilly morning air, racers fought through the uphill burn on Leg 1 of the race.
Racers pushed hard up the difficult single track of Blue Grous Trail, gaining more than 1000 feet of elevation until it was time to throw on running shoes for the Rogaine orienteering section.
Ryan Ognibene with a time of 44 minutes dominated the orienteering section, followed by Nord Vrai with a time of 47 minutes, grabbing 13 checkpoints using map, compass, and some admirable orienteering skills.

Then back to mountain bikes, coursing through more uphill single track to the ropes section. Ryan Ognibene blazed first to the ropes course; almost getting there faster than it took race organizers to drive
there! Here teams and solo racers had a choice of completing a traverse and slack line, or the 40ft rope ascension. All racers had to complete the rappel.
Rockin-zeBOKin won the fastest ascender challenge with an impressive time of only 24 seconds and scored a sweet Camelback hydration pack from Jackrabbit Bike and Trail! Volunteers were definitely impressed by his smooth technique
up the ascension. In second place was Ryan Ognibene, just one second behind.

Back on bikes again for some even more lactic acid accumulating uphill to Panorama Point Overlook. Normally this spot offers a majestic view of the snowy peaks to the northwest of Golden Gate
- though the clouds this day had instead decided that an extra weather challenge was in effect. This point also marked the transition from leg burn to some sweet wind-in-your-face, exhilarating downhill.
Racers cruised down past Bootleg Bottom back to Kriley Pond.

Now time to demonstrate some accuracy skills on the paddle! Racers followed a 6 gate slalom course on inflatable kayaks, competing for the fastest time. Great job to Ryan Ognibene for winning this section
with the impressive time of 1 minute 39 seconds on the slalom challenge and scoring a Nathan Hydration Pack. In second place was Chrissy Nacos of Nord Vrai, with a time of 1 minute 43 seconds.

Finally, it was time for the running section. This was the last leg of the race, encompassing approximately 7 miles of running and approximately 2000 feet of elevation gain. Racers had to choose
checkpoints wisely to make it back by their cutoff times (6pm for heat 1, 6:05pm for heat 2, and 6:10pm for heat 3). Despite the fatigue, many racers did an awesome job completing the full loop in this section.

The first to come in was Ryan Ognibene, winner of the solo male division and overall best time (and nearly setting the course on fire with his blazing speed)of 5 hours and 44 minutes with no penalties!
Katie Ferrington won the solo female division with a time of 7 hours 56 minutes. The winner of the Two person open division was Unfrozen Caveman Lawyers with a time of 9 hours and 1 minute and team Bacon!
won the two person coed division with a time of 10 hours 50 minutes. The prize winning Three/Four coed team division was claimed by Nord Vrai, with an also impressive time of 7 hours and 43 minutes.
And finally the large group division was won by Extreme Westsiders with an overall time of 8 hours and 8 minutes.

We would like to shout out a huge thanks to all the athletes that braved the cool weather and put forth their best adventure racing spirit, as well as to the awesome volunteers that were the backbone
of this race. Also thank you to Alpine Search and Rescue, Golden Gate Canyon State Park, and all the amazing sponsors that helped make the race possible including the generous Nathan Sports,
Colorado Running Company, Planet Bike, Trailhead of Buena Vista, Phantom Canyon Brewery and many others!!

Whether you are in biking or running shoes, carrying paddles or rappel gloves, or navigating through unknown terrain - you mastered it all and demonstrated what a true adventure racer is
...rugged to the core and capable of anything!

Run off your turkey pounds and hone your orienteering skills at
a
BMARE event on Saturday after Thanksgiving.

What:

We will set up a FREE orienteering course for folks to practice on
following Thanksgiving

Where:

Palmer Park, Colorado Springs, CO

When:

10am-12pm, Saturday 26th, 2011

Why:

1) Face it, you need to go for a run after all that turkey and
cheese cake.
2) You'll get to practice your orienteering skills and keep them
sharp for next season.
3) We can all help to clean trash up out of Palmer Park and win cool
prizes and SWAG for the trash collected.

Course Difficulty: Easy and Moderate difficulty. Time Commitment: 30minutes to an 1hour 30 minute long depending on
running and orienteering skill. What you need to do:RSVP to Chelsea @ bigmountainAR@gmail.com. She
will give you the rest of the details, and will give you the maps,
passport, and UTM coordinates via email. You will need to print
these out before you come!

An optional donation of $5 per person will be collected at the table
which will all be donated to El Paso County Search and Rescue.

2012 (Tentative)
Big Mountain Adventure Schedule

Note: All races and dates are tentative and
are subject to change. This tentative schedule is provided to help
you understand our intentions for and to plan your 2012 season. Please let us know if you have requests or opinions about our 2012 schedule as it is in flux.
BMAR@BigMountainAR.com

Date

Race

Lengths

Venue

Series

April 21st

Big Mountain Trail Run

5k, 10k, Half Marathon, 5k with your Dog

Stratton Open Space and Foothills, Colorado Springs, Co

N/A

May 19th

Chadron Adventure Race (produced by Angry Cow Adventures)

12hr

Chadron State Park, NE

Checkpoint Tracker, Heartland Series

June 22nd, 23rd

Big Mountain AR @ America's Mountain

Mini-sprint (2-3hr), Sprint 4-6hr, Sport 9-12hr, Adventure 18-24hr

Green Mountain Falls, CO TBD

Checkpoint Tracker, Heartland Series

August 25th

Rampart RAGE AR

Sprint 5-8hr TBD, Sport 10-13hr

Woodland Park, CO TBD

Checkpoint Tracker

Support Our Sponsors

These companies help make BMA races a reality. Please help support them
and let them know we sent you their way!

August 2011

August 2011 Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

August 2011

REI Clinic in Boulder, Over the
Edge Adventure Race, BMARE Event

In This Issue

The
BMA crew is looking forward to a change in scenery for our
final race this season at Golden Gate Canyon State Park (no, not
in San Francisco. Near Golden Colorado J).
We hope you can join us for this very beautiful race. Checkpoint
Panorama Point will leave you breathless (as may the ascent up
to it!)

Spread the Word!
We are hoping to inspire as many people as possible to join in
the adventure racing fun and comradery. Please share this
newsletter with friends and family who also have a taste for
adventure, and lets build a friendly and fun community of
adventure enthusiasts in Colorado. Got adventure? Get some
and get some more... and invite the other adrenaline junkies
along with you!! :)

Have you ever wanted to enter a race that has you paddling an
inflatable kayak on a scenic mountain lake, dropping from a giant
boulder onto a 500ft zip line, trekking through the forests amidst
trees and rock formations and mountain biking sweet Colorado
singletrack? If so, join Big Mountain Adventure Racing for a
presentation about all of the fun, adventure and camaraderie that
adventure racing has to offer.

Attendees who also race the Over the Edge AR (current and new
registrants) will get $5 off the race!

Register for the Over the Edge Sprint
Adventure Race!!

That checkpoint is somewhere, over the rainbow...

Registration closes September 13th at Noon. Register Today!

Rope ascension is one of the ropes area options at the race. The
fastest ascender will win a CamelBak Mule Hydration Pack! See our
instructional ascension video for guidance on ascending.

Thanks to all the participants of the Big
Mountain Adventure Racing for the Environment (BMARE) event on Aug
20th! Great workout, lots of trash collected, and an
impressive rope ascension by everyone. We are also very thankful to
Go-Lite and Sole for their generous sponsorship of BMARE!

We met at the High Drive parking lot for a
morning workout – either running or biking at Bear Creek,
Section-16, or up High Drive to Captain Jack’s.

Picking up trash along the way… leaving the
trails cleaner than before! J

Now for the trash contest...

Most amount of trash collected:
Vance Nixon

Most creative trash display:
Beth Kline and Sheryl Lampert

"ICE CHALET" (complete with snow composed of packing
peanuts!)

Runner ups... Lots of creative talents all around!

"Fork in the road to the Distillery"

"Trash Orchestra"

"Bowling alley"

Off to the rope ascension practice. It was a
hot day and a long way up but everyone made it up… Nice job!!

THANKS AGAIN TO SOLE AND GOLITE
FOR THEIR GENEROUS SPONSORSHIP!!!

Support Our Sponsors

These companies help make BMA races a reality. Please help support them
and let them know we sent you their way!

July 2011

July 2011 Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

July 2011

Rampart RAGE a Success!
Over the Edge coming in September!

In This Issue

The Rampart RAGE Adventure Race
went very well. The racers showed a lot of perseverance
and seemed to enjoy themselves. We had a great time with
the racers and campers over the weekend and hope to see you
again in September.
Our next race is the Over The Edge Sprint Adventure Race in
Golden Gate Canyon State Park. We had issues obtaining the
land use permits we needed to put on the 18hr race in
September, so the Over The Edge Sprint Adventure Race will be
a quite challenging and highly scenic 6-9hr race.

Spread the Word!
We are hoping to inspire as many people as possible to join in
the adventure racing fun and comradery. Please share this
newsletter with friends and family who also have a taste for
adventure, and lets build a friendly and fun community of
adventure enthusiasts in Colorado. Got adventure? Get some
and get some more... and invite the other adrenaline junkies
along with you!! :)

BMA really wanted to have an 18hr race for our 3rd race of 2011 however we had some land permitting issues.
For a couple months we've been working on getting permits in a different area for the race. The 18hr race was
reduced to a 12hr race and now unfortunately due to hunting season we aren't able to use the whole course we wanted so
instead we have an awesome and highly challenging 6-9hr sprint course. We are awaiting our final permit and will open registration as soon as possible.
Our mailing list will be informed when registration opens.

If you liked the Rampart RAGE race, you'll love the Over the Edge Sprint Race in Golden Gate Canyon State Park. The beauty is
unparalleled. The trails are exciting and
in the backcountry - you will be on no roads of any kind during this race. The terrain is rugged and inspiring. This will be an epic
sprint race! You will be climbing and descending through pine forests, alpine meadows, and golden aspens in the mountain fall. At the
peaks of the course you will earn views of the Continental Divide and the Indian peaks Wilderness Area. This gorgeous course lies
minutes west of Golden and easy access from anywhere on the front range!

You will be traveling approximately 18-30 miles in beautiful Golden Gate Canyon State Park.
While the mileage is low, the difficulty is high. You will enjoy the following race legs:

Mountain Biking - a mix of technical, difficult, and sweet
single track with some easier double track. No roads.
No jeep roads. Mountain bikers will love this course.
Beginner bikers will find this course very challenging.

Running/Trekking - single and double track as well

Rogaine Style Orienteering - Most of the course will have
minimal navigation but there will be an orienteering leg

Possibly a Short Paddling Challenge (TBD - boats, paddles, and PFDs would be provided)

We are designing this race to offer a similar experience to Rampart Rage
but with fewer miles and more difficult terrain.
This is not the actual biking leg but is fairly representative of
the mountain biking in the race:

They’d
said the same thing every day for 2 weeks straight, and each of
those days 30% had meant a 100% guarantee. But Saturday morning
came (very early), and there was not a cloud in the sky. It was
going to be a good day.

At
5:30am, the brave sport length racers lined up to race for 12-15
hours non-stop. After a quick recap of key rules, the racers were
pumped up and ready. At 6am they took off on foot for a grueling 11
mile trail run for checkpoints 1-3.

Still
in good spirits, the racers traded their running shoes for paddles
at CP3 and had to pursue 5 paddling checkpoints. Teams did well on
this leg, and were glad to give their feet a break. The phenomenal
views of Pikes Peak over the water did a lot for the morale as well.

Back at the boat dock, the racers had more running staring at them.
Racers chose what order to pursue the rest of the checkpoints in.
Should we get the zip line now or later? Should we even try for
that checkpoint? At what point should we do the special challenge?
Whatisthe
special challenge?! Choice within the race is definitely what
separates adventure racing from so many other sports.

Once
at the zip line team mates had to don climbing harnesses, fly across
a finger of the lake, and feel the wind in their hair. Many racers
thought the zip line to be the highlight of the race, and said they
would have done it over and over again….had there not been a race to
win! A new adventure racing convert had this to say: “who can
resist a race that includes a zipline?!?!”

While collecting a few more checkpoints, the racers had to run or
trek to the tops of the surrounding mountains to the special
challenge, where they found slingshots and milk jugs awaiting them.
All team members had 4 chances each to try to hit the milk jug with
their rock.

If
the teams didn’t make their shots, they had to carry their team mate
down the road 100 meters and back. -A pricey cost of energy since
they were only about halfway through the race at this point.

After paying their debts at the slingshot station, they had to run
down Shubarth trail to the bike drop where they got the coordinates
of 17 new biking checkpoints……Uggg….and they smattered the map like
a Dalmatian’s spots cover his fur! Racers gulped and pressed on
like gladiators for the most epic, but also the most rewarding
portion of the race. Tired racers were wise to strategically choose
which checkpoints to attain on this leg.

During
the biking leg, the racers could enjoy views of Pikes Peak, Rampart
Reservoir, the Airforce Academy, Denver, and Colorado Springs.
They’d pass through meadows, pass by reservoirs, zip up and down
single & double track to the bottom and tops of mountains, and climb
annoyingly short but steep hill climbs. They’d pass by flowered
meadows with butterflies, find a cool shelter that would tempt them
to stay and hangout in the shady cool, and then descend back to the
reservoir trail for some rewarding single-track. At this point,
teams were praying for rain to escape the summer day’s heat, and
refill their water bottles….but they didn’t get it. The scorching
sun shined on.

The
racers headed back toward the finish line, but before they could
finish, they had to complete a Tyrolean traverse. Racers were
attached to a rope, suspended above the ground, and had to pull
themselves from one side of the meadow to the other. A Tyrolean
traverse is difficult when you’re fresh….at this point in the race,
it was nearly impossible. But once again, the racers astounded us,
and victoriously completed this last challenge before crossing the
finish line.

Dusty-faced and bloody kneed but with smileys on their faces, the
sport length racers crossed the finish line victoriously; able to
say they survived and conquered the Rampart Rage.

At
9am the same morning while the sport racers were on the water, the
5-8hr sprint racers followed the sport racer’s foot prints and
overlaid them with bike tracks. The sprint racers got to have fun
on the rollercoaster single-track that circumnavigates the reservoir
on the way to the boat drop.

The sprint racers then got to enjoy the same boating navigation and
lake views of Pikes that the 12 hour did….except with an extra
time-crunch. All racers had to be off the lake by noon or else
those teams would be disqualified. In a frenzy, all teams made it,
with the last team making it off at 11:57….whew!

Once
finished with the boating leg, it was time to don running shoes and
complete the zip line then find as many checkpoints as possible.
Checkpoints were hidden on the very tops of boulders, under
boulders, on a random knoll, in a reentrant and along a trail bend.
Racers sleuthed their way to these and then to the same special
challenge that the 12 hour had to complete. If a team failed to hit
the slingshot target, racers wished they’d chosen tinier teammates.
And they, too, were required to haul their teammate 100 yards down
the trail and back.

Following
the slingshot challenge, racers ran back downhill to the lake to
pick up their bikes and ride the same single-track all the way back
to the campground….for many a little less energetically than the
first time.

Teams raced back to the finish in order to make the cutoff time.
After all, every minute late after cutoff, counted as 10 minutes of
penalty time, which can really kill a great race time.

At
the finish line all teams got to enjoy Brisket sandwiches from
Phil’s BBQ and brews from Phantom Canyon Brewery. Once the results
were in, racers won prizes from Win Insurance Agency, Whole Foods,
Nathan Packs, The Trailhead, Planet Bike, and Polar Bottle. Racers
then vied for raffle prizes from all of our wonderful sponsors.
Kathleen from Healing Touch Massage was also there to help racers
their reduce their soreness from a long day of fun!

The BMARE Challenge (Big Mountain Adventure Racing for the
Environment) also had some stiff competition. Racers collected all
sorts of odd trash, and then creatively displayed and named their
“trashy art.” Teams who collected the most trash and teams who won
the creativity challenge cleaned up; each team member winning a pair
of socks from SOLE, a visor from GoLite, and a coffee mug from
PlanetHeal.com.

Overall,
the race was a huge success. And in the words of Jerry Badders of
Team Boom Boom Pow, the 3-person coed sport course winners, it was
a, “tough, fun, tough, awesome, tough, scenic tough race.”

See you next year on the Rampart and also in September for our last
race of 2011!

Join us for a fun day of training, cleaning, and learning in Colorado Springs!
The date is TBD but will be on a Saturday between August 13th
through September 10th. Let us know if you have a preferred
date!

At 8AM we will meet at the High Drive parking lot. Here you will choose 1 of 3 routes for the training portion:

Run or bike to the top of High Drive, left down Captain Jacks single track, and left on Gold camp back to the start.

Run or bike up High Drive, turn around, and come back down high drive to the start

Run or bike part way up High Drive, go right at Palmer Loops Trail, and take the Section 16 loop back to the start.

While you're training please pick up any trash you see. Once back you will have more time to pick up trash in the bear creek park or section 16 area or wherever you'd like.
You will need to collect a certain amount of trash as a 'ticket' to do the next 'free' portion...

BMA will set up a rope ascension and maybe a rappel near the High Drive parking. We will offer lessons and practice doing the ascension
to those who have collected enough trash. This will help give you an edge in the Over the Edge Sprint Adventure Race.

We should be done sometime around noon. At that time any interested parties can join us somewhere to grab some lunch.

At the Rampart Rage adventure race, eyes were keen not only on
finding strategically hidden checkpoints but also for the not so
tactfully discarded trash at a few of the less remote areas of the
race. Racers fought through a tough course, but even more
importantly they fought to decrease the impact and make the course
cleaner then before. Incredible endurance, a greater than average
supply of adrenaline, and a shared respect for the environment makes
these adventure racers unique from being racers with a number and a
finishing time. Riding the challenging single track back to the
finish line, some racers could hear the metallic cling of discarded
beer cans in their trash bags and endured the extra weight on their
backs all to help make a difference. And at the finish... they added
in a bit of creativity to have a little fun!

Racers Lara and Joe of team Gross Jeans won the 6 hour category both
for the most amount of trash collected and the most creative trash
display -"death of an adventure racer." Any racer racer carrying
beer for hydration, heavy aluminum cans of beans in place of power
bars and running in flip flops may just have that fate!

In the 12 hour category, team DST-TANG won the category for the most
amount of trash collected. They were a tough team with a mission!

The winner of the of most creative trash display in the 12 hour
category went to team 617 Express. Their trashed stuffed glove decorated
with a goofy face and hair adorned with shotgun shells was
hilariously named "Hillbilly with a Shotgun."

Thank you to all the racers who participated in the BMARE
competition and to all the racers for their environmentally
conscious racing! In the core of adventure racing is the opportunity
to explore the raw beauty and untamed challenges of the surrounding
environment. There is an intrinsic reward, whether in the lead or
lost in some undefined location on the map, in marveling at the
tenacity of grand boulders clinging to a precarious cliff or at a
moment of synchrony amongst unwieldy wildflowers in a breeze. There
too is the thrill of rappelling from a precipitous rock ledge or
peddling up a hill laden with natural obstacles. It is this remote
wilderness that is the foundation of adventure racing and
thereby it is a united goal to keep this wilderness remote. The foundation of this adventure we seek is woven through the constructs of nature.

Carefree Chiropractic is the official chiropractors of Big Mountain Adventure Racing. They keep us tuned up
for our races as well as help us recover from setting up our races. They are excited to offer up an opportunity for
Big Mountain Adventure racers to benefit from our community:

Carefree Chiropractic is excited to offer all Big Mountain Adventure Race members a chance to get healthy! We would like to welcome you to our office and allow
you the opportunity to meet our doctors and see that we can meet your needs. We will provide a consult, exam, report of findings, half hour massage and xrays...
a $450.00 value for $30.

The health of your nervous system is vitally important to your performance. Chiropractic care is an important part of an overall approach to your health.
We also help with lower back, neck, sciatica, headaches, numbness and various other conditions related to the nervous system. We also care for individuals
and families who are experiencing pain and soreness resulting from car accidents. We bill insurance plans, but we also have many patients on very
affordable cash plans. Be assured, we will work with you financially.

We would love to serve you! Our office is located at 3365 North Academy, Colorado Springs, 80917 (at North Carefree and Academy in the Safeway shopping center).
We have appointments available six days a week including evenings till 6pm. Call us at 572-0211 to schedule an appointment and get started on the road to health.

Here's your chance to get healthy! We're waiting for your call!

Dr. Douglas Johnson
Carefree Chiropractic

Support Our Sponsors

These companies help make BMA races a reality. Please help support them
and let them know we sent you their way!

June 2011 Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

June 2011

Get Ready for Rampart RAGE!

In This Issue

We
can't say enough good things about the
Rampart RAGE Adventure Race. The course is challenging and beautiful. The ropes are
fun and memorable. Best of all the race is worlds away while being so close to
your Front Range home. Want to learn a little more about
adventure racing before diving in? Join us at our
Adventure Racing Clinic at
REI
Colorado Springs on Thursday July 7th at 6:30PM.

Spread the Word!
We are hoping to inspire as many people as possible to join in
the adventure racing fun and comradery. Please share this
newsletter with friends and family who also have a taste for
adventure, and lets build a friendly and fun community of
adventure enthusiasts in Cclorado. Got adventure? Get some
and get some more... and invite the other adrenaline junkies
along with you!! :)

Find out why this race's checkpoints have descriptions like "On Tree @ Amazing Lookout".
Take in the fresh mountain air this summer at one of Colorado's most beautiful race venues at the Rampart Reservoir.
Trek through the forest amidst beautiful trees and rock formations, drop from a giant boulder onto a 300ft zipline over the lake,
paddle an inflatable kayak on a scenic mountain lake, and mountain bike some of the most fun single track that Colorado has
to offer!

Choose between a beginner-oriented sprint length (5-8hr) or the sport length (12-14hr) course option. The sport length also
includes a 300ft tyrolean traverse. Beautiful camping is available at the start/finish/post
race party location; lodging in Woodland` Park is also available.
Kayaks and paddles are provided for each racer. Ropes gear rental options are available. Our last race sold out - don't miss out!

Want to learn more about adventure racing before trying your first one? Have you done an adventure race but want to learn more about
training? Just want to meet BMA and ask us some questions? Join us on Thursday July 7th at 6:30PM at REI Colorado Springs!

Come learn about all the fun you can have while adventure racing -
such as paddling an inflatable kayak on a scenic mountain
lake, dropping from a giant boulder on to a 300ft zipline, trekking
through the forests amidst trees and rock formation, and mountain
biking on sweet single track. So if you are into
nature, camaraderie, fun and adventure, you should come
check out what
adventure racing has to offer, and Big Mountain Adventure would love
to tell you about it.

A BIG THANKS to all the Rock2Rock volunteers ! You were an integral part of making the race happen and we really could not have done it without you.
You even camped out to monitor the ropes, came multiple days to help set up the screaming zip line, and braved the crazy April snowstorm to keep the
race going! We could not be luckier to have had such an amazing group to help us. Thank you so much!! And don't forget to use your race vouchers to race
in or upcoming Rampart Rage or Big Mountain Adventure races this year.

PJ Snow, one of our R2R volunteers is putting on an event we'd like you to support. Check out TwoCor Project's 50 mile mountain
bike ride from Monument Valley to Palmer Lake and back on June 25th... all for a great cause for troubled youth.
This will be an awesome ride for an awesome cause, so don't miss it!

Finally, if you'd like to get more exposure to adventure racing by volunteering and also get to soak in some beautiful scenery at the
Rampart Range and Reservoir area, come join a great group of race volunteers and the Big Mountain AR crew at the Rampart Rage Adventure Race.
Free camping is available for volunteers as well as race vouchers and swag! If interested please send an email to:
bmar@bigmountainar.com.

Carefree Chiropractic is the official chiropractors of Big Mountain Adventure Racing. They keep us tuned up
for our races as well as help us recover from setting up our races. They are excited to offer up an opportunity for
Big Mountain Adventure racers to benefit from our community:

Carefree Chiropractic is excited to offer all Big Mountain Adventure Race members a chance to get healthy! We would like to welcome you to our office and allow
you the opportunity to meet our doctors and see that we can meet your needs. We will provide a consult, exam, report of findings, half hour massage and xrays...
a $450.00 value for $30.

The health of your nervous system is vitally important to your performance. Chiropractic care is an important part of an overall approach to your health.
We also help with lower back, neck, sciatica, headaches, numbness and various other conditions related to the nervous system. We also care for individuals
and families who are experiencing pain and soreness resulting from car accidents. We bill insurance plans, but we also have many patients on very
affordable cash plans. Be assured, we will work with you financially.

We would love to serve you! Our office is located at 3365 North Academy, Colorado Springs, 80917 (at North Carefree and Academy in the Safeway shopping center).
We have appointments available six days a week including evenings till 6pm. Call us at 572-0211 to schedule an appointment and get started on the road to health.

As an orthotist, I see a lot of
folks with foot problems. Some can be helped with foot orthoses (FOs),
and some can’t. However, I also see tons of people spending
$300-$400 on custom foot orthoses that may or may not help
their condition. And, no, most insurances do not help with costs of
foot orthoses.

With cars, shoes, clothes--almost everything,
you get to test drive before you shell out the cash. But with
custom FOs, you have to pay and trust that you’re in the 50% of
people who can be helped by custom FOs.

Endurance athletes are interesting. If, we put
in as much daily mileage as the average American, we’d likely have
very healthy feet. But because of the repetition and duration of
endurance sports, subtle problems can surface, magnify, and wreak
havoc on our training and racing. .

I’m of a different camp than most. I believe,
first, that many of these conditions prescribed custom FOs can be
helped by non-custom, over-the-counter FOs if used correctly. And
second, that many patients (excluding diabetics and folks with true
foot deformity), should first pursue cheaper, non-custom options to
see if they see marked improvement in their condition. Then, once
you know your feet can be helped by FOs, you can either stay with
the over-the-counter option, or invest in the custom, slightly more
durable FOs.

SOLE FOs are some of the best over-the-counter options on the
market today. They are heat-moldable to accommodate the needs of
the wearer. They are affordable relative to custom FOs --usually
around $45. And, they are still flexible enough to allow healthy
amounts of pronation, which is necessary for runners and endurance
athletes to avoid stress fractures and unnecessary joint trauma.
What’s more, SOLE stands behind their product, and has a money-back
guarantee if you don’t see results within 90 days.

Problem 4: Chronic Forefoot Striker vs. Heel
StrikerWhen experts say, forefoot striking is ideal, they typically
mean mid-to-forefoot striking. There are some who run on the
extreme forefoot and develop metatarsal pain. Others put all of
their force into their heel with each step, and develop heel pain.
Besides chronic pain, both can result in stress fractures over
time.

Possible Cheap Solutions to these issues:Ultimately, to reduce the risk of further injury and pain, the
runner should meticulously and consciously try to retrain him or
herself to land more mid-to-forefoot while running. This is not an
easy process and will probably take years. However, SOLE FOs can
sometimes help reduce these pains in the meantime.

For the forefoot pain, you may want to get a
SOLE FO that offers more cushion. Then, add a metatarsal pad as
listed previously to reduce peak pressures over the “landing zone.”

If you are the heel striker, having a good heel cup as provided by
the SOLE FOs can help distribute pressures over the entire heel as
opposed to the impact spot, until retraining of your stride is
complete.

Beware of Something Under the Surfacee
Now, these are problems I often see in athletes, but if you’re
having foot pain, I definitely do recommend seeing a doctor first to
get a diagnosis using an XRay or MRI to ensure that nothing else
more complicated is going on under the surface. But if your problem
fits into one of these categories, and you’re not into the idea of
possibly being out of $400 if it doesn’t work for you, give these
ideas a try and see if they work for you. Good luck! And I hope
you get to enjoy a foot-pain-free race season!

Support Our Sponsors

These companies help make BMA races a reality. Please help support them
and let them know we sent you their way!

May 2011

May 2011 Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

May 2011

Happy Memorial Day, BMA is
ready for Summer!

In This Issue

Don't
forget that Rock2Rock registration closed before many potential
racers
had a chance to register. Don't let it happen for the
Rampart RAGE Adventure Race. The entry fee goes up $10/person on
June 17th. The 12hr race is a Checkpoint Tracker Event. Sign up today!

Also note the Mt. Herman BMARE clean up is being rescheduled
for another weekend.

The goals for our BMA races include combining adventure, athleticism, multi-sport skills with strategy,
while also incorporating environmental cleanup challenges to help build a strong, environmentally friendly racing community.

Spread the Word!
We are hoping to inspire as many people as possible to join in the adventure racing fun and comradery.
Please share this newsletter with friends and family who also have a taste for adventure, and lets build a
friendly and fun community of adventure enthusiasts in the Springs. Got adventure? Get some and get some more...
and invite the other adrenaline junkies along with you!! :)

Teams and solo adventure racers gathered on what was a day of
unknown weather to compete in the Rock2Rock Adventure race from
Monument, CO to Colorado Springs. The racers knew it would be a
chilly Spring day, but no one knew whether to expect rain, snow, or
sunshine. Throughout the day they experienced all in addition to
some treacherous sleet and wind. However, the smiles, laughs, and
camaraderie that maintained showed that the weather didn’t slow the
racers’ adventurous spirit.

The event started bright and early (well, overcast and early anyway)
at 6AM at the Colorado Sports Center in Monument. After a pre-race
meeting racers began practicing for 2 special challenges that would
determine their starting positions for the race: a rock climbing
wall traverse and an ice hockey goal challenge. The ice hockey
challenge invited racers out on the ice to complete 2 or more out of
4 attempts to land a goal. The rock climbing traverse challenged
racers to use their forearm muscles to complete a 40ft traverse.
Some racers elected for some last minute orienteering instruction
before completing the challenges.

The course started between 9 and 9:40AM with 3 heats to spread out
racers on the Santa Fe Trail. Racers headed south through the
beautiful Air Force Academy stopping for their first checkpoint at
the south exit gate leading to Woodmen road. While heading down the
Pikes Peak Greenway Trail, some racers elected to stop at Criterium
Bike Shop to resolve some bike issues. Due to a serious malfunction
– one racer had to even rent a new bike to continue on the course!

The second checkpoint signified the turn to one of the highlights of
the race – the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) land
navigation and ropes challenges. After a bike drop transition area,
including a check for safety gear needed for ropes challenges,
racers tested out their map and compass skills in the breathtaking
UCCS owned land adjacent to Pulpit Rock Park. This off trail course
had racers climbing up and down the ridges and valleys in this
not-widely known area. Even the race organizers were excited to
discover new awesome trails in this area while planning the race.
Amidst the challenging navigation, racers had to decide which one of
two ropes challenges to complete in this area: a cable zipline or a
rappel. The rappel was the faster choice for many competitive racers
due to its favorable placement on the course, but the zipline was
the undisputed adrenaline booster for many racers. The screaming
fast zipline gave the sense of flying to racers who chose this 500ft
challenge from the top of a ridge down into a valley. Some teams
enjoyed it so much they hiked back uphill to do the zipline twice.
Some teams even chose to do both the zipline and the rappel,
highlighting one of the most important aspects of adventure racing –
having fun!

Afterwards, racers jumped back on their bikes and continued heading
south on the Pikes Peak Greenway trail to Sondermannn Park for a
foot orienteering course. This course used a Rocky Mountain
Orienteering Club map and had racers following topographical clues
to gain checkpoints to finish the course and get back on their
bikes. Sometime during this transition Team Muffin Tops was unlucky
enough to acquire goat head thorns in their bike tires. Eventually,
all four of Muffin Tops’ tires popped, leading to a long push-bike
trip to a bike shop to obtain more tubes…this time attempting to try
the ones with the green jelly inside.

The next stop was at Monument Valley Park for special challenges
that exercised racers’ balance, coordination, and ability to work
together. Teams had to choose two of three challenges in which to
prevail: a slack line, a ropes descent to and ascent from Fountain
Creek, and a raised checkpoint in a tree. The slack line is nylon
webbing tensioned between two anchor points similar to a tight rope,
except that it is not as tight and is more like a skinny trampoline.
While a balance challenge about 30 miles into the race was somewhat
daunting, many racers completed and enjoyed this challenge! The
ropes ascent and descent gave a bit up upper body muscle challenge
to slightly balance out the long miles of leg work, while the raised
checkpoint in a tree forced teams to work together. There was no
possibility of climbing the tree so racers were on top of each
others’ shoulders or standing on interlaced hands to hoist their
teammate to reach the checkpoint.

Upon completion of the Monument challenges the final course leg
awaited racers which was, for some, the most difficult section of
the course. Fatigued racers tackled orienteering while biking at
Bear Creek Park. An established trail system provided plenty of
opportunity for route finding choices to pedal their way to the
checkpoints. Racers’ reward for their perseverance was some nice
double track and single track mountain biking on what was otherwise
a mostly urban course.

After biking in the shadows of Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain,
racers headed to the finish, where the final challenge waited
racers: a 43ft indoor rock climb at the CityRock climbing gym in
order to stop the race clock. Racers used their last bit of muscle
reserves and conquered the final challenge that stood in the way of
snagging some beer and brats! Phantom Canyon Brewery graciously
provided the well deserved post race beer for the racers and the
amazing Whole Foods brought and prepared the brats. The post race
party included prizes for race winners and a swag raffle for all
racers. All in all it was an incredibly fun time with a great
community of racers!

The Big Mountain Adventure Racing for the Environment (BMARE)
competition was also well received. Racers collected about 6 full
trash bags worth of trash and a whole box of recyclables. Team Milky
Mamas took first place with the most amount of trash collected by
weight and Team Nord Vrai took second place with the most creative
display of trash with their themed ‘vices’ trash collected: poker
chips, cigarette packs, golf balls, and empty beer bottles.

The race attracted numerous first time adventure racers which helped
reach one of Big Mountain Adventure’s goals of introducing this fun
sport to new people. Veteran teams and racers came as well, placing
some impressive finishing times! The race included a large number of
local racers, as well as racers representing 5 different states.
Course times ranged from 4:39 to 9:20. Big Mountain Adventure
received a gamut of positive feedback from racers. The common themes
were appreciation of organization, variety in the race, and course
design. Thanks everyone! We really enjoyed putting on the race and
hope to provide our community of racers with fun and challenging
races to come. We also hope to promote the use of our beautiful
parks and trails in an environmentally friendly manner.

Thanks to all the racers and volunteers who made the event happen.
And BIG congratulations to all for showing your enthusiasm and
amazing endurance, especially through the grueling weather. We
certainly head some hearty and strong racers…the snow, bike
malfunctions, map oversights, getting lost and other mishaps did not
deter any of the racers from finishing the course. There were
winners with the fastest times, and there those un-announced winners
too, who despite pushing bikes, getting lost, and other such mishaps
never gave up and finished the course. Awesome!! We hope we’ll see
you again at Rampart RAGE on July 16th!

Please note there was a score tallying error in the original results. Team Milky Mamas had penalties that were not tallied properly. While Milky Mamas did an awesome job and
also took first in the BMARE competition, they did not earn second place. Team Squirrel Master earned 2nd and all rankings were increased by one place. Congratulations Squirrel Master
on your prize winning 2nd place!

Solo Female

Raw Time

Official Time (Time + Penalties + refunded time spent in
ropes line)

1st:
Laurien Moes (153)

5 h 43 min

5 h 42 min

2nd:
Deborah Doyle (152)

7 h 21 min

7 h 20 min

3rd:
Baarbd (151)

6 h 42 min

8 h 24 min 30 s

Solo Male

Raw Time

Official Time (Time + Penalties + refunded time spent in
ropes line)

1st:
Ryan Ognibene (107)

4 h 39 min

4 h 39 min

2nd:
Bryan Caylor (103)

5 h 14 min

5 h 14 min

3rd:
Timothy David McNamara (109)

5 h 42 min

5 h 41 min

4th:
Jeff LaForce (101)

5 h 44 min

5 h 43 min

5th:
Ken Lotze (104)

5 h 57 min

5 h 57 min

6th:
Richard Wood (106)

5 h 56 min

6 h 11 min

7th:
Jonas Reynolds (102)

6 h 05 min

6 h 25 min

8th:
Dakata Thunder (105)

6 h 51 min

6 h 50 min

9th:
Vance Nixon (110)

6 h 54 min

7 h 08 min

10th:
Shane Spraggins (111)

8 h 39 min

9 h 57 min

11th:
Ben Wedeking (108)

8 h 33 min

10 h 58 min 30 s

2 person Coed

Raw Time

Official Time (Time + Penalties + refunded time spent in
ropes line)

1st:
Who Plotted? (205)

6 h 04 min

March 2011

March 2011 Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

March 2011

Happy Saint Patrick's Day from
BMA!!

In This Issue

Registration
for the
Rock2Rock Adventure Race
is filling up fast! The entry fee goes up $10/person on
April 7th. Sign up today! The goals for our BMA races include combining adventure, athleticism, multi-sport skills with strategy,
while also incorporating environmental cleanup challenges to help build a strong, environmentally friendly racing community.

Spread the Word!
We are hoping to inspire as many people as possible to join in the adventure racing fun and comradery.
Please share this newsletter with friends and family who also have a taste for adventure, and lets build a
friendly and fun community of adventure enthusiasts in the Springs. Got adventure? Get some and get some more...
and invite the other adrenaline junkies along with you!! :)

Register for Rock2Rock
today before it's too late! Race Regisration is currently
60% full. Don't forget that the race entry fee goes up by
$10/person on April 7th. Sign up today!

We will be releasing Race Update #2 soon. This will include
more logistical updates to help plan your race day. If you're worried about the
orienteering element in adventure races, we will be conducting an
optional, short orienteering lecture after the pre-race meeting.
Additionally, BMA staff will be glad to help during the race for
those new to orienteering.
Keep your eyes open in the next couple weeks for Race Update #2.
See the R2R event page and click on the Race Updates tab.

If you were unable to make it to the Carmichael Training Systems
Adventure Racing and Navigation Clinic, the slides are available on our
website. It's not a full substitute for the presentation, but
it's got a little bit of orienteering info in it anyways. Check out the presentation slides
here!

Phantom Canyon Brewery
will be providing free finish line beer for the racers!
Also, Healing Touch Massage will be at the race start with a table for some
free sports enhancing massage therapy. At the finish line and post race Healing
Touch
Massage will be providing sports massage in a private room for racers who would like to sign up. The massages are booked in 20 minutes blocks for $30 a block.
You can purchase more than one block to get a longer massage or can even purchase blocks for your friends and family who have supported you in your training and
at the finish line. You do not need to specify times for blocks. The block reservation guarantees your massage and it can be used anytime after you finish until the conclusion
of the post race party. Team Big Mountain Adventure uses Healing Touch often to enhance our performance. Kathleen is worth every penny of the block cost! She's a great
therapist and we ask that you guys support her and get an awesome recovery massage at the finish line!

Registration for Rock2Rock is open, cost is only $59/racer early registration until April 7th.
$69/racer from April 8th to April 20th.

As an orthotist, I see a lot of
folks with foot problems. Some can be helped with foot orthoses (FOs),
and some can’t. However, I also see tons of people spending
$300-$400 on custom foot orthoses that may or may not help
their condition. And, no, most insurances do not help with costs of
foot orthoses.

With cars, shoes, clothes--almost everything,
you get to test drive before you shell out the cash. But with
custom FOs, you have to pay and trust that you’re in the 50% of
people who can be helped by custom FOs.

Endurance athletes are interesting. If, we put
in as much daily mileage as the average American, we’d likely have
very healthy feet. But because of the repetition and duration of
endurance sports, subtle problems can surface, magnify, and wreak
havoc on our training and racing. .

I’m of a different camp than most. I believe,
first, that many of these conditions prescribed custom FOs can be
helped by non-custom, over-the-counter FOs if used correctly. And
second, that many patients (excluding diabetics and folks with true
foot deformity), should first pursue cheaper, non-custom options to
see if they see marked improvement in their condition. Then, once
you know your feet can be helped by FOs, you can either stay with
the over-the-counter option, or invest in the custom, slightly more
durable FOs.

SOLE FOs are some of the best over-the-counter options on the
market today. They are heat-moldable to accommodate the needs of
the wearer. They are affordable relative to custom FOs --usually
around $45. And, they are still flexible enough to allow healthy
amounts of pronation, which is necessary for runners and endurance
athletes to avoid stress fractures and unnecessary joint trauma.
What’s more, SOLE stands behind their product, and has a money-back
guarantee if you don’t see results within 90 days.

Over the next few months, I’ll feature some conditions I see in
athletes that can often be helped by cheaper than custom methods:

Problem 2: Plantar Fasciitis
Plantar fasciitis often occurs in runners and endurance athletes. I see it more often in people with medium to high arches.
The plantar fascia is a broad tape of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot and connects to the heel of your foot and to the base of your toes.
If this tissue is excessively tight, or you over-pronate and the plantar fascia is one of the last things putting up a fight to prevent foot collapse,
this fascia can develop excessive tension. The excess tension can result in inflammation of the tissue itself, or it can pull at the connection point of the heel,
triggering the bone to grow (Wolf’s Law), causing painful heel spurs to develop.

Possible Cheap Solution to Plantar Fasciitis:
(1) If your plantar fasciitis is caused by an excessively tight plantar fascia, you need to stretch it. You should stretch it during the day using active stretching
techniques, and you should also try to passively stretch it using sleeping devices such as the Strassburg Sock. If you live in the Front Range, Colorado Running
Company carries these and SOLE FOs at their store.

(2) If the fascia is inflamed, you should also try to take some of the tension off of it during walking and running by using a SOLE FO to supplement
the fascia and give it some rest while it heals. If it was an acute flare-up, you may only need the FOs for a little while, and then never need it again.

(3) But if the fasciitis is resultant of chronic over-pronation, a SOLE FO molded to your natural arch height (heat molded while sitting, not standing) will
resist the over-pronation, thus requiring less work from the plantar fascia, keeping it from being chronically over-worked.

(4) If the heel spurs are not severe, sometimes having a heel cup in an over-the-counter FO is enough to redistribute pressures more evenly and keep those spurs
from hurting. Other times, an over-the-counter gel heel pad can help relieve these pressures.

Beware of Something Under the Surface
Now, these are problems I often see in athletes, but if you’re
having foot pain, I definitely do recommend seeing a doctor first to
get a diagnosis using an XRay or MRI to ensure that nothing else
more complicated is going on under the surface. But if your problem
fits into one of these categories, and you’re not into the idea of
possibly being out of $400 if it doesn’t work for you, give these
ideas a try and see if they work for you. Good luck! And I hope
you get to enjoy a foot-pain-free race season!

Support Our Sponsors

These companies help make BMA races a reality. Please help support them
and let them know we sent you their way!

February 2011

Treat
your sweetie to an adventure with Big Mountain Adventure, LLC.
Register today for the Rock2Rock Adventure Race in the 2 Person Coed
category. The goals for our BMA races include combining adventure, athleticism, multi-sport skills with strategy,
while also incorporating environmental cleanup challenges to help build a strong, environmentally friendly racing community.

Over the next few months we will feature a special series of
articles on the Foot Issues in Endurance Athletes by BMA's own
orthotist and prosthetist: Chelsea Lutrall.

Spread the Word!
We are hoping to inspire as many people as possible to join in the adventure racing fun and comradery.
Please share this newsletter with friends and family who also have a taste for adventure, and lets build a
friendly and fun community of adventure enthusiasts in the Springs. Got adventure? Get some and get some more...
and invite the other adrenaline junkies along with you!! :)

Register for Rock2Rock
today before it's too late! If you're worried about the
orienteering element in adventure races, we will be conducting an
optional, short orienteering lecture after the pre-race meeting.
Additionally, BMA staff will be glad to help during the race for
those new to orienteering.

Kick start your adrenaline reserves from the
winter hibernation with the Rock2Rock adventure race in Colorado on April 23rd! Mountain bike, trek, and orienteer to ropes challenges including rappelling,
traversing, or zip lining and conquer special challenges along this adventure-filled 6-9 hour course. Grab your teammates or brave it solo; we have a number
of categories to accommodate any size group.

Beginners through seasoned adventure racers can all enjoy! The race will go through some of the area's nicest
parks and trails from Monument to Colorado Springs. Winners of each division can look forward to a variety of exciting prizes, plus all racers will score a
t-shirt and awesome swag... and of course some adrenaline induced memories! Share the excitement at our post race party with included food, beer, and a
gear-filled prize raffle (thanks to our generous sponsors!).

Registration for Rock2Rock is open, cost is only $59/racer early registration until April 7th.
$69/racer from April 8th to April 20th.

As an orthotist, I see a lot of
folks with foot problems. Some can be helped with foot orthoses (FOs),
and some can’t. However, I also see tons of people spending
$300-$400 on custom foot orthoses that may or may not help
their condition. And, no, most insurances do not help with costs of
foot orthoses.

With cars, shoes, clothes--almost everything,
you get to test drive before you shell out the cash. But with
custom FOs, you have to pay and trust that you’re in the 50% of
people who can be helped by custom FOs.

Endurance athletes are interesting. If, we put
in as much daily mileage as the average American, we’d likely have
very healthy feet. But because of the repetition and duration of
endurance sports, subtle problems can surface, magnify, and wreak
havoc on our training and racing.

I’m of a different camp than most. I believe,
first, that many of these conditions prescribed custom FOs can be
helped by non-custom, over-the-counter FOs if used correctly. And
second, that many patients (excluding diabetics and folks with true
foot deformity), should first pursue cheaper, non-custom options to
see if they see marked improvement in their condition. Then, once
you know your feet can be helped by FOs, you can either stay with
the over-the-counter option, or invest in the custom, slightly more
durable FOs.

In my opinion, the
SOLE FOs are some of the best over-the-counter options on the
market today. They are heat-moldable to accommodate the needs of
the wearer. They are affordable relative to custom FOs --usually
around $45. And, they are still flexible enough to allow healthy
amounts of pronation, which is necessary for runners and endurance
athletes to avoid stress fractures and unnecessary joint trauma.
What’s more, SOLE stands behind their product, and has a money-back
guarantee if you don’t see results within 90 days.

Over the next few months, I’ll feature some conditions I see in
athletes that can often be helped by cheaper than custom methods:

Problem 1: Over-pronationOver-pronation (collapsing arch) in the otherwise healthy foot,
is caused by ligaments and muscles that aren’t functioning to hold
that arch in place during standing, walking, or running. Contrary
to popular belief, over-pronation can occur in feet with a naturally
low arch and in people with a
naturally high arch. The only stipulation is whether your ligaments
and muscles support the arch in its naturally occurring shape while
in use or not.

In endurance athletes, over pronation often
gets worse as muscles fatigue during a long race. This can lead to
(1) a painful midfoot because ligaments are getting stretched out as
the muscles do less and less of the support work. (2) Ankle pain
because the ankles soon follow the arch by also rolling inward, thus
potentially straining the posterior tibial tendon, and/or stretching
ankle ligaments. (3) Painful knee issues caused by the
mal-alignment of the foot and ankle, causing the knee to become
mal-aligned, resulting in patellar tracking issues such as
chondromalacia, or possible IT band issues, and more. As one thing
starts to “misfire” it can lead to a chain reaction of compensation
and further pain and injury – especially in an endurance athlete.

Possible Cheap Solution to Over-pronation:
Purchase SOLE FOs that fit your entire arch length – not your
shoe size (this may mean buying a longer size than your shoe size
and trimming them to fit your shoe). Then, heat-mold them according
to the package instructions, slide them into your shoe, put your
feet in your shoes while sittinguntil they
cool. This will mold the FOs to your natural arch height and
still allow healthy amounts of pronation during walking and running
without forcing more of an arch than you need while still providing
resistance to total arch collapse.

Beware of Something Under the SurfaceNow, these are problems I often see in athletes, but if you’re
having foot pain, I definitely do recommend seeing a doctor first to
get a diagnosis using an XRay or MRI to ensure that nothing else
more complicated is going on under the surface. But if your problem
fits into one of these categories, and you’re not into the idea of
possibly being out of $400 if it doesn’t work for you, give these
ideas a try and see if they work for you. Good luck! And I hope
you get to enjoy a foot-pain-free race season!

Orienteering is often a barrier to entry for those new to adventure
racing. However, it really doesn't have to be!
Orienteering is a fun and rewarding activity and is often an
important strategic element in an adventure race. Join
BMA soon for some orienteering training.

March 3rd, 6:30PM: REI clinic on 'Adventure Racing in the Front
Range and Navigation Clinic'

This clinic will introduce
you to AR, the gear needed, special racing considerations in
the Front Range and a short Navigation Clinic to prepare
first-timers for this element.

March 11th, 6PM: Clinic at Carmichael Training Systems on
'Adventure Racing in the Front Range and Navigation Clinic'

This clinic is similar to
the REI clinic except that there is a greater Navigation
Clinic element. We intent this to be a full nav clinic
including map reading, bearings, UTM plotting all including
pictures of actual terrain to aid in map understanding.

Lastly, don't forget there will be a short navigation clinic
after the pre-race meeting of the Rock2Rock Adventure Race

Big Mountain Adventure is starting an Adventure Racing group on the
Pikes Peak Sports website. This will be an extension to the
FROG adventure group and website.
On the PPS AR group we will host a teammate finder bulletin board
and will feature FROG monthly challenges. Stay tuned for more
information on the AR group content. Keep checking out the Pikes Peak Sports AR Group,
join PPS and the AR group today!

January 2011

January 2011 Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

Big Mountain Adventure Newsletter

January 2011

Happy New Year from BMA!!

In This Issue

Big Mountain Adventure, LLC
is ringing in the new year by opening registration for
our Rock2Rock Adventure Race. The goals for our BMA races include combining adventure, athleticism, multi-sport skills with strategy,
while also incorporating environmental cleanup challenges to help build a strong, environmentally friendly racing community.

Spread the Word!
We are hoping to inspire as many people as possible to join in the adventure racing fun and comradery.
Please share this newsletter with friends and family who also have a taste for adventure, and lets build a
friendly and fun community of adventure enthusiasts in the Springs. Got adventure? Get some and get some more...
and invite the other adrenaline junkies along with you!! :)

Kick start your adrenaline reserves from the
winter hibernation with the Rock2Rock adventure race in Colorado on April 23rd! Mountain bike, trek, and orienteer to ropes challenges including rappelling,
traversing, or zip lining and conquer special challenges along this adventure-filled 6-9 hour course. Grab your teammates or brave it solo; we have a number
of categories to accommodate any size group.

Beginners through seasoned adventure racers can all enjoy! The race will go through some of the area's nicest
parks and trails from Monument to Colorado Springs. Winners of each division can look forward to a variety of exciting prizes, plus all racers will score a
t-shirt and awesome swag... and of course some adrenaline induced memories! Share the excitement at our post race party with included food, beer, and a
gear-filled prize raffle (thanks to our generous sponsors!).

Registration for Rock2Rock is open, cost is only $59/racer early registration until April 7th.
$69/racer from April 8th to April 20th.

So we’re a third of the way through winter. The days are growing longer, bit by bit; but the snow is just now getting going.
Though Colorado Springs averages 5.2 inches of snowfall in January, which is also its coldest month, March to April is the snowiest time [1,2].
We still have a good bit of winter left. So, what to do? Big Mountain Adventure's Rock2Rock race is just around the corner (April 23rd, 2011),
and you're stuck inside. You've somehow got to get moving. I'm no personal trainer (unlike our very own Tony Lutack, who you can contact if
you're interested in personal training and/or spin classes), but below are a few tips that I have found to be useful and we at BMA try to utilize.

Too Much Snow?
We in Colorado Springs live in one of the most amazing spots on Earth. Enjoy it! Due to our below average amounts of snowfall so far this winter,
many excellent low elevation city trails are still in good condition for winter running and biking. Even with some snow and ice, there are some
good options. Check out the City’s local trails.

Flat Trails!?!
Trails that don't have as many inclines and/or wooded areas will be especially clear in between snows. Since you may get stuck on relatively
flat trails, take the time to do interval training with a weighted pack. Interval training is said to dramatically increase VO2max, plus it
may make those less interesting trails a bit more fun. Any quick online search will lead you to some good articles on interval training and
VO2max, but a brief summary is to run at normal pace for a while, then increase your pace for at least 30 seconds to a predetermined level
(maybe 80% of maximum pace). Return to normal pace for a predetermined time, and then repeat the sequence. You may determine to change the
interval to higher or lower levels to fit your need. Next time out, go a little harder. A useful tool for interval training is some sort of
GPS device. Keep an eye on the GPS pacer as you go back down to what you think is a "normal" pace! If you don’t have one, check out our
sponsors such as The Trailhead (Buena Vista), Mountain Chalet and Gearonimo. Many racers at our events will receive coupons for these stores!

Another useful idea for optimal utilization of flat trails is to use them to get your mileage up to near race requirements. Find out how many
miles of biking and running you'll have to do for your first race and work out a plan to get your mileage up on flat trails. Then, throw in
interval training to simulate hills.

Too Cold?
Bundle up and get out there! You’d be surprised how warm you’ll be even in the coldest of conditions when you start burning calories. Here are a
few good tips from Gear Junkie on how to stay warm while running and biking (a buddy of mine and I have gotten good runs in on our coldest days
so far this winter: 4° and 8° F highs, and we stayed plenty warm):

Unzip and vent, rather than layer

Use gloves and hats to regulate temperature first

Ball up your fingers inside your gloves if they’re not warm enough

Cover your face

Guys: preserve the family jewels. Consider windproof undies.

Run all the way to the finish, rather than having a cool-down time [3]

If All Else Fails...
As much as it pains an outdoor enthusiast to say this, if all else fails, go to the gym. To keep things interesting, and to get some good
training utilizing the different muscle groups and exercise modalities needed for adventure racing, try doing intervals on different machines,
especially running, biking and rowing. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), "VO2max is specific to the exercise modality," [4]
so train with all types of movement needed for adventure racing. Just remember to get outside every opportunity you have. Train using multiple
disciplines and carry a weighted pack, even if it's for short distances at first. If you've never biked then run immediately after, you'll be really
surprised at how hard it is to go from one to the other. Don't forget paddling! It's often the forgotten child of adventure racing, but good paddling
could just win you that race! My wife managed to rig up an indoor kayaking machine in our basement with a few carabineers, rope and free weights.
You can email her for instructions, if you’d like: bigmountainAR@gmail.com.

Summary:

Take advantage of low elevation trails.

Keep going, even if it’s cold. Learn how to dress for the cold.

Use multi-sport training (in the same workout do combos of biking, running and kayaking, if possible).

Our organization supports the environment and promotes you to support the environment as well! We follow a goal of BMARE: Big Mountain
Adventure Racing for the Environment. We have 5 initiatives to meet this goal the funnest of which is the BMARE Competition!

The BMARE Competition
We hold the BMARE competition at most of our events. BMA provides each team with
a trashbag to have our participants collect trash at our venues. There are two conditions for winning BMARE: weight and creativity.
The team that collects the most amount of trash by weight wins first prize! The team that provides the most creative display of the trash
collected within a 10 minute period wins second prize. Everyone has a chance of winning this competition, but the environment is the real winner!

The prizes for BMARE will vary depending on the event and our sponsor support. Fun times for a good cause! Some current sponsors of BMARE include GoLite and Bestway.
We just got the GoLite Visors and 40% off coupons for GoLite gear for the competition and they are sweet! Get your trash-scouting skills honed over the winter, racers,
because come the Rock2Rock, the competition is on!

Our Big Mountain Adventure Racing Team does our part in preservation as well. We bring a garbage bag on every training we do to pick up trash while we use our training
grounds. We also seek and promote green companies as our sponsors. We also support and promote the products of green companies both as a team and an organization.
Big Mountain Adventure practices and promotes Leave No Trace Ethics:

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Dispose of Waste Properly

Leave What You Find

Minimize Campfire Impacts

Respect Wildlife

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Preserving the environment we use for our adventures is everyone's responsibility. We as environmental enthusiasts
owe it to ourselves and future enthusiasts to maintain and improve our environment. Big Mountain Adventure supports
our friends and race participants who are conscious of their impact on the environment and understand their responsibility
to preserve it and encourage others to do the same.

December 2010

Big Mountain Adventure, LLC welcomes you to the upcoming 2011 Adventure Racing Season. Our group's comradery and post training beers at other adventure
races gave us inspiration to host our own 2011 races for our fellow Front Rangers and adventure racing enthusiasts wanting to enjoy the
beauty of the front range…in muddy shoes and biking shorts of course. The goals for our BMA races include combining adventure, athleticism, multi-sport skills with strategy,
while also incorporating environmental cleanup challenges to help build a strong, environmentally friendly racing community.

Spread the Word!
We are hoping to inspire as many people as possible to join in the adventure racing fun and comradery.
Please share this newsletter with friends and family who also have a taste for adventure, and lets build a
friendly and fun community of adventure enthusiasts in the Springs. Got adventure? Get some and get some more...
and invite the other adrenaline junkies along with you!! :)

Who Are We?
BMA was created by a group of experienced, highly motivated, adventure seeking, multi-sport athletes to provide the Colorado Front Range
with adventure races, training, and other adventure and sporting events. We conduct races and other adventure events under Big Mountain Adventure,
LLC and also race as the team Big Mountain Adventure Racing. Our tag line, "Got Adventure…? Get Some!" is a testament to why we started the company:
to provide opportunities to participate in adventure events in the Front Range and expand the world of adventure racing. Plus we love to live adventure and make adventure!

How are our races different?
In addition to athleticism and endurance, we strive to add the extra challenge of using strategy to win races!
We want to make the races as fun and challenging as possible, but our goal is also to keep costs low in order
to keep the events accessible to everyone.

Green Racing:
We believe in the preservation of our spacious Colorado backyard; of our trails and wild places. We have a goal of upholding
what we call Big Mountain Adventure Racing for the Environment (BMARE, pronounced 'be merry').
All our races include an extra fun but
environmentally oriented challenge which includes trash pickup and most trash collected / and most creative trash prizes.
We've also planned separate trail cleanup and volunteering events.

We have an exciting season coming up!
Our races will strive to be challenging, exciting, humbling, but most importantly -
a ton of fun! Once the quad burn wears off from a grueling uphill bike climb , plan to find relaxation while dangling from a zip line...
or seek some biceps burn on a cliff crossing traverse. Work in some brain muscle to figure out the best strategy to nab those checkpoints,
and hopefully by the finish line you've traded in lots of glycogen for lots of thrill and adrenaline!

Big Mountain Adventure is hosting 3 races in the Colorado Springs area in 2011.

These races range between 6 and 24 hours in length and are accessible to beginners and elite racers alike!
While Adventure Races are challenging, our sporting events are open to both elite teams
and single athletes as well as casual adventurers, families, and weekend warriors. We are happy to help beginners enter and enjoy the sport (we
were all beginners at some point!). Registration for the events will open in 2011.

Adventure Racing is traditionally a team sport. We believe this is the best way to do an adventure race, but we offer solo categories as well as many team
divisions to accomodate any team that you can put together. For questions about the races, visit the race page links above or
the FAQ andRace Rules page.

Our organization supports the environment and promotes you to support the environment as well! We follow a goal of BMARE: Big Mountain
Adventure Racing for the Environment. We have 5 initiatives to meet this goal the funnest of which is the BMARE Competition!

The BMARE Competition
We hold the BMARE competition at most of our events. BMA provides each team with
a trashbag to have our participants collect trash at our venues. There are two conditions for winning BMARE: weight and creativity.
The team that collects the most amount of trash by weight wins first prize! The team that provides the most creative display of the trash
collected within a 10 minute period wins second prize. Everyone has a chance of winning this competition, but the environment is the real winner!

The prizes for BMARE will vary depending on the event and our sponsor support. Fun times for a good cause! Some current sponsors of BMARE include GoLite and Bestway.
We just got the GoLite Visors and 40% off coupons for GoLite gear for the competition and they are sweet! Get your trash-scouting skills honed over the winter, racers,
because come the Rock2Rock, the competition is on!

Our Big Mountain Adventure Racing Team does our part in preservation as well. We bring a garbage bag on every training we do to pick up trash while we use our training
grounds. We also seek and promote green companies as our sponsors. We also support and promote the products of green companies both as a team and an organization.
Big Mountain Adventure practices and promotes Leave No Trace Ethics:

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Dispose of Waste Properly

Leave What You Find

Minimize Campfire Impacts

Respect Wildlife

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Preserving the environment we use for our adventures is everyone's responsibility. We as environmental enthusiasts
owe it to ourselves and future enthusiasts to maintain and improve our environment. Big Mountain Adventure supports
our friends and race participants who are conscious of their impact on the environment and understand their responsibility
to preserve it and encourage others to do the same.